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Did Not Advance

West Virginia Senate Bill 450 restructures historic rehabilitation tax credits and sets a June 2026 sunset date

Original title: Relating to tax credit for qualified rehabilitated buildings investment

Last action · February 4, 2026: To FinanceSponsors: Ryan Weld and 1 other

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Senate Bill 450 consolidates West Virginia's historic rehabilitation tax credits into a single article and establishes a 25 percent tax credit for qualified rehabilitation expenditures on s, effective for applications received on or after June 30, 2026. The measure phases out current rehabilitation credits while preserving credits earned prior to the sunset date and imposing new good standing and application fee requirements.

Why it matters

Property owners and developers engaging in historic preservation projects in West Virginia face new administrative procedures, application fees capped at the lesser of 0.5 percent of requested credits or $10,000, and mandatory tax compliance requirements to qualify for and maintain state tax credits.

Background
  • West Virginia previously administered historic rehabilitation tax credits through separate provisions in personal income tax and corporation net income tax statutes. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Property owners undertaking historic rehabilitations

Property owners must comply with new application procedures, pay application fees, meet good standing requirements, and follow specific certification timelines to claim the 25 percent rehabilitation tax credit.

Directly affected

Corporate and individual taxpayers

Taxpayers may apply the credit against personal income tax or corporation net income tax, carry forward unused credits for up to 10 years, or transfer unused credits to other entities.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tax credit percentage for rehabilitating historic buildings under the new bill?
The credit is equal to 25 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenditures or eligible rehabilitation expenses for both residential and nonresidential s.
When do the old rehabilitation tax credits expire?
The current rehabilitation tax credits are terminated effective June 30, 2026, though credits earned by successfully submitting a Part 3 Request for Certification of Completed Work prior to that date remain valid.
Can unused tax credits be transferred to other taxpayers?
Yes, any person or entity eligible for the credit may transfer, sell, or assign unused credits after obtaining a certificate of approval from the State Tax Commissioner.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.

Procedural history

6 actions
  1. Feb 4, 2026SenateCommittee
    To Finance
  2. Feb 4, 2026SenateCommittee
    Reported do pass, but first to Finance
  3. Jan 16, 2026SenateCommittee
    To Economic Development
  4. Jan 16, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced in Senate
  5. Jan 16, 2026SenateCommittee
    To Economic Development then Finance
  6. Jan 16, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Filed for introduction

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Centralization of Historic Tax Credits

The bill shifts West Virginia from scattered individual tax credit sections into a single, unified article under Chapter 11 while establishing a definitive sunset date for existing credits.

Connected Entities

State Historic Preservation Officer, National Park Service, Ryan Weld and 3 more
PersonState Historic Preservation Officer“State official designated under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966”Map →
OrganizationNational Park Service“Federal agency designating certified historic structures and reviewing rehabilit”Map →
PersonRyan Weld“Senator sponsoring Senate Bill 450”Map →
PersonMike Woelfel“Cosponsor of Senate Bill 450”Map →
OrganizationWest Virginia Division of Culture and History“State agency reviewing historic preservation applications and administering spec”Map →
PersonState Tax Commissioner“State official responsible for tax administration, recapture enforcement, and tr”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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